Cancer cachexia: physical activity and muscle force in tumour-bearing rats.

Rats bearing the Yoshida AH-130 ascites hepatoma are subjected to substantial weight loss, which is accompanied by anorexia at the end of the tumour cycle. Total physical activity (measured using the IR Actimeter system and Actitrack software) was determined during 11 days in control and tumour-bearing animals, skeletal muscle strength being also by the grip-strength test. The results presented clearly show that the presence of the tumour induces an earlier decrease in physical performance, which affects both skeletal muscle force and physical activity (both locomotor movements and stereotyped movements and distance travelled, among others parameters).